City government goes 'cutting edge'

STOCKTON - Nearly 200 citizens serve on 25 boards and commissions in Stockton, arriving in their roles in city government with good intentions but often lacking in training.

Roger Phillips

STOCKTON - Nearly 200 citizens serve on 25 boards and commissions in Stockton, arriving in their roles in city government with good intentions but often lacking in training.

"Some of our boards have been known to be dysfunctional," City Clerk Bonnie Paige said Wednesday morning during a meeting of the City Council's legislative committee. "I'll be blunt."

Soon, though, all board and commission appointees may have the opportunity to attend governance training through a program conducted in collaboration with University of the Pacific's Westgate Center for Leadership and Management Development.

The university plans to underwrite three-quarters of the program's $40,000 cost, and two Pacific departments have pledged another $2,000 each. The Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce has pledged another $1,000, but $5,000 more still is needed to fully foot the cost of the training, and the program still must be approved by the City Council. As proposed, the plan would come at no cost to the city.

The idea for the training sprang from a discussion several months ago between Paige and Councilman Moses Zapien, who chairs the legislative committee.

A curriculum since has been drafted for what would be three-hour sessions that would be open on a voluntary basis to City Council members and appointees to boards and commissions. Attendees would learn the fine points of their specific roles, the legal limits of their powers and the requirements of the Ralph M. Brown Act, California's opening meetings law.

Peter Johnson, an adjunct professor at the Westgate Center, told the legislative committee his research has not found any other cities offering similar trainings to its government appointees.

"We do think this is cutting edge," he said. "It's a good opportunity for the community."

Johnson said the first sessions could be held as soon as the end of next month.

"I'm thrilled about this," Zapien said, saying he thought it would benefit the community.

Contact reporter Roger Phillips at (209) 546-8299 or rphillips@recordnet.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/phillipsblog and on Twitter @rphillipsblog.